(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pushbutton tuner for radio sets, television sets and other apparatus, and particularly for automobile radio sets or the like. A pushbutton tuner of this type presents a plurality of pushbutton assemblies mounted on the tuner frame for in and out movement, each one of these pushbutton assemblies carrying adjustable memory means for recalling a memorized broadcast frequency when the pushbutton assembly is pushed inwardly.
(2) Statement of the Prior Art Known to the Applicants
The following prior art is known to the applicants:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,052 (PELLETIER): the whole document. PA1 German (Federal Republic) Publication of Patent Application (OS) No. 2,614,610: the whole document.
(3) Prior Art Pushbutton Tuners
Conventional pushbutton tuners comprise a plurality of pushbutton assemblies arranged side by side and parallel to each other, longitudinally slidable inside a tuner frame, and each carrying one abutment member which can be angularly adjusted around an axis which is perpendicular to the plane of the pushbutton assembly, and is associated to means for locking or unlocking same so as to adjust its angular position at will and maintain such position once adjusted. Each pushbutton assembly cooperates, by means of its abutment member, with the inclined edges of a V-shaped notch obtained in a control bar transversely arranged with respect to the pushbutton assemblies, said control bar being operatively associated to the tuner group of the radio set, so as to actually control same as a consequence of its longitudinal movement promoted by the insertion of any pushbutton assembly and by the consequent action of the abutment member on the inclined edge of the V-shaped notch.
In the pending U.S. application Ser. No. 924,485 filed in the name of the same applicants as in the present invention, there is disclosed a pushbutton tuner which comprises a plurality of pushbutton assemblies arranged side by side parallel to each other. Each pushbutton assembly carries a supporting member onto which there are provided two abutment members. Each supporting member is mounted rotatably and angularly adjustable on the corresponding pushbutton assembly, and can be locked to any desired angular position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pushbutton assembly. Whenever a pushbutton assembly is pushed inwardly for the selection of a desired predetermined broadcast frequency, firstly one of the said two abutment members abuts against an inclined edge of a V-shaped notch provided on the longitudinal side of a control bar operatively associated to the tuner group of the radio set, thus promoting the shifting of the said control bar in its longitudinal direction, until the second one of the said abutment members abuts against the other inclined edge of the said V-shaped notch of the control bar, thus stopping the movement of the control bar itself.